


Finding Hope

by BSBLover2538



Category: Backstreet Boys
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-09-23
Updated: 2018-09-29
Packaged: 2019-07-15 18:47:10
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 14,453
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16069088
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BSBLover2538/pseuds/BSBLover2538
Summary: Nick Carter, part of the Backstreet Boys, was fed up being treated like a teenager by his bandmates. A devastating event forces him to confront his feelings for his bandmates and changes his life forever.





	1. Life-Changing Events

**Author's Note:**

> Well this is story #8 and it's Nick's turn! This one expanded more than I thought it would, and has turned into a three chapter story. I will post the second chapter whenever I can, hopefully within the next week, after I type it. Once again thank you for all of the comments and kudos for all of my works. I am loving writing, and I have no idea what will come next. 
> 
> Disclaimer: I do not own the boys and all rights go to them and their management. This work is pure fiction.

Nickolas Gene Carter, one-fifth of the best-selling boy band, Backstreet Boys, was fed up. He was twenty-five years old, and his bandmates still treated him like he was a fifteen-year-old boy. He was tired of Kevin’s constant nagging, Howie always making sure he was back in the hotel or on the bus at a certain time, Brian’s constant wanting to tag along with everything he did to make sure he wasn’t making a fool of himself, and finally AJ’s constant disappearances to who knows where, leaving him to the other three guys. Nick wanted to be left alone for a while, and to get away from his bandmates.  He was just tired of everything. When the Boys’ management came to them and told them that they had a month break in between the legs of their current tour, Nick jumped at the chance to book a flight back to Tallahassee, to his home there. He would then decide where he wanted to go next. Two days later, he was finally home alone in Florida. None of the other guys lived within three hours of him, which made him happy. Brian lived the closest in Atlanta, Georgia, but that was still four hours away.  Despite getting away, his bandmates would end up coming to his rescue once again. This time, the outcome would change Nick’s life forever. 

About a week after arriving home, Nick was getting ready to go out to the local club to meet some friends. He had plans to meet up with them, and then go back home and play video games until he fell asleep. Nick knew that he didn’t want to get drunk, so he only decided to have one beer, and keep an eye on his friends. Three hours later, he was sober and coherent, while his two childhood friends were completely off the rails. He guided the two of them out of the club and to his car. He managed to get them both in the backseat, and went around to the driver side to start the drive to get his friends’ home. Nick dropped both of them off and went on his way back home after making sure they would be alright. As Nick was driving through the intersection less than five minutes from his home, he never saw the car speeding towards him running the red light. A drunk driver hit the side of Nick’s car dead on and he was thrown from the vehicle. Nick was already unconscious from the impact of the crash. He would not wake up for a week, and would suffer devastating injuries. 

Meanwhile, Kevin Richardson was asleep in his home in Kentucky, with his wife by his side. He was suddenly woken up by his cell phone ringing. Bleary-eyed, he answered the call. An unknown voice on the other end asked if he was the emergency contact for a Nickolas Gene Carter. Alarmed, Kevin responded that he was. The voice told him that Nick was in the trauma center of their emergency room, and was in very critical condition. Kevin asked which hospital, and quickly shook his wife awake. The voice told him that Nick was in Tallahassee Memorial’s Trauma Center. He told the person on the other end that he would be there as quickly as he could. He hung up the phone and told his wife that he had to get down to Florida, and that Nick was severely injured. He quickly called Brian and explained the situation. Brian promised to call AJ and Howie, and told Kevin that the three of them would meet Kevin down in Florida to be with Nick. Fortunately, Kevin found a flight leaving for Florida in two hours, which meant that he would get to the hospital in four hours. He just hoped Nick could hold on that long. 

Brian called AJ and Howie, and both told him that they would get down to Florida as quickly as they could. Brian, living in Georgia, thought it would be best to drive down to the hospital so that the four of them would have a car to use, in case Nick would be in the hospital long term. He told his wife what was going on, threw clothes in a suitcase, and started the four-hour drive down to Florida. He prayed the entire way that Nick would still be alive. Howie and AJ were doing the same thing. Both men lived in California, and they fortunately lived ten minutes from each other. Howie quickly got a suitcase together and drove to AJ’s, who had already booked a flight leaving in two and a half hours. They would get to Florida two hours after Kevin. All four men were beside themselves with worry about their youngest bandmate and brother. 

Nick had been rushed to the hospital and the trauma doctors were working feverishly to get him stable. His ID had been found, and his emergency contact was called. Nick had multiple broken bones, a tear in his spleen, a punctured lung, and a head injury. His spine was also crushed from the impact of the crash. It was too early to tell the lasting damage each of his injuries would have on him. He was rushed into emergency surgery to set the broken bones, fix the tear and the puncture, and relieve the pressure from his spine. The doctors gave Nick a 10% chance of survival and a less than 1% chance of a full recovery. 

Brian arrived to the hospital first and was quickly shown to the OR waiting room. He quickly texted the other three that Nick was in emergency surgery, and tried to settle down to wait for any answers.  Half an hour later, his cousin showed up, but Brian had no news to give him other than that Nick was still in surgery. AJ and Howie came into the waiting room two hours later, and the four came together in a hug and started praying together for Nick. Two more hours passed by, and finally a surgeon came in asking for the Family of Nick Carter. Kevin approached the man and stated that he was Nick’s emergency contact. The surgeon, Dr. Andrews, asked Kevin if he was alright with the other three being there. Kevin emphatically stated that they had to be there, that Nick was a brother to them all. Dr. Andrews sat the four down and first told them that Nick had survived the surgery. All four of them were extremely relieved to hear that. Dr. Andrews got a grim look on his face and explained the extent of Nick’s injuries. He had broken his left leg, and his left wrist. His pelvis was fractured, and he had a severe concussion. His right lung was punctured, and his spleen was torn.  The surgeons were able to repair the breaks, and fix the punctured lung and the tear. He then explained to the four men surrounding him that Nick’s spine had been crushed, and they tried to relieve the pressure, but the chances of Nick ever walking again were less than 5%. Brian and Howie got tears in their eyes at the shock of that statement. Kevin and AJ both hung their heads and looked up at the doctor and asked how Nick was doing. Dr. Andrews explained that the next 24-48 hours were extremely critical, and if Nick made it through, he would know Nick’s chances of survival. He explained that Nick was being kept sedated, and he was remaining intubated while his lung healed. He apologized to the four men for having to tell them the bad news, but the men were grateful for the information, even though it was the last thing they wanted to hear. Dr. Andrews told the guys that Nick was being transferred to the ICU, where he could have one visitor at a time, and that they needed the next three hours to settle him. The guys thanked the surgeon and Dr. Andrews left, sending his own prayers up that Nick would survive.

As the surgeon left, the four guys looked at each other, and tears came to their eyes. The thought that their little brother would never walk again was devastating. Kevin told the others that he had to call their management and indefinitely postpone their tour. They also quickly came up with a statement to be released to the public stating that Nick was injured and hospitalized, and that they would release more information in a timely manner. The other three agreed, and Kevin walked away to make the phone calls. Ten minutes later, Kevin came back and said it was done. Brian had called his wife and explained everything, as did AJ and Howie. The four knew that Nick did not want his family being told, and left that alone. AJ started looking up information about paralysis on his phone, and was telling the other three what he found out. The four of them quickly realized that Nick would need help for the rest of his life, depending on how high the level of paralysis was. They knew that Nick would have to move in with one of them. With Kevin in Kentucky, Brian in Georgia, and Howie and AJ in California, and Nick in Florida, the guys didn’t know what to do with regards of who would take care of Nick. They shelved the conversation for another time, instead focusing on seeing their brother in two hours. All four guys knew that their wives were on their way to be with them. Luckily none of them had children, so it was easier for their wives to drop everything and come to Florida. Nick was the only single one left, and that made things a tiny bit easier. The next two hours passed painstakingly slowly, and a nurse finally approached Kevin to tell him that Nick was settled into the ICU. Although the four knew that Nick could only have one visitor in his room, they asked if they all could just look in and see him. The nurse, after consulting with the doctor, agreed. As the four men followed her, they tried to prepare themselves for what Nick would look like, and none of them could have been prepared for what they saw. 

Brian was the first one to see Nick’s room, and after taking one look at Nick, he ran for the nearest wastebasket and threw up. The other three weren’t doing much better. Nick had several IV’s coming out of him, had a feeding tube up his nose, and the intubation tubes down his throat. He had been having fits of movement, so they had softly restrained his wrists to prevent further injury. His face was bruised and cut up, and all four saw the casts on his leg and arm. He only had the hospital gown on, and was battling a post-operative fever that the nurses were valiantly trying to bring down. Dr. Andrews had told the Boys how Nick had been injured, and that he was not at fault, and had not had any drugs or alcohol in his system. Howie steeled himself, and asked that he be the first one to go in Nick’s room. The other three agreed, and after sanitizing his hands and arms, Howie followed the nurse into Nick’s room. Seeing his injuries up close was so much worse. The nurse kindly told Howie that he could hold Nick’s right hand and talk softly to him. There had been research done that people that were sedated could still hear what was going on around them. Howie told Nick that all four of them were there for him, and that Nick had to fight to get better. Nick could only tolerate five-minute visits at a time, and after Howie left, AJ went in, and then Brian and finally Kevin. Kevin broke down at the sight of his youngest brother, and held Nick’s hand and told him that he couldn’t wait to see Nick’s blue eyes showing him all the indignation in the world, a look that Kevin was used to on his brother and missed dearly. The guys all left to go to the ICU waiting room, waiting for when they could see Nick again. 

Six hours later, each of the guy’s wives showed up, and a routine began. There would always be a couple in the waiting room, and they slept, ate, and got fresh air in shifts. All eight of them visited Nick, and they each had their own ways of passing time. They had rented hotel rooms temporarily, while the wives worked together to rent a home close to the hospital that would become the home base for them while Nick was in the hospital. During the course of the next few days, Nick made improvements, and the guys found out that based on Nick’s MRI’s and cat scans’, doctors believed that Nick had a C-5 spinal injury. The extent of the paralysis would not be known until he woke up, but the guys knew from AJ’s research that Nick had very little chance of movement in his legs, but that he would be able to speak, although his breathing would be weakened. He also might be able to use a power wheelchair. He would be able to use his arms and bend his elbows, but might not be able to use his wrists or hands. Finally, he would need assistance in the bathroom and with daily tasks. The four guys and their wives had been having numerous discussions in the past few days about Nick’s care after he left rehab, which wouldn’t be for at least three months. Kevin broached the idea of buying a large home for all of them, with separate wings for each couple, and a common one where Nick would be, so that they all could share the “burden” (none of them would ever call it that) of taking care of Nick. Howie, AJ, and their wives were all looking to get out of California, and were willing to live wherever necessary. Brian and his wife had already discussed their desire to be closer to their family in Kentucky. It quickly became the plan to either buy or build a large home in Kentucky for the 4 couples and Nick. 

Six days after the accident, Dr. Andrews approached Howie and his wife who had the waiting room shift. He told Howie that they were planning on lifting the sedation medication, and begin the process of waking Nick up. His lung x-rays were showing that the puncture was almost healed, and the swelling from the concussion had lessened. His broken bones were all on the mend, although the compression on his spine was slow to recede. Dr. Andrews told Howie that it would be several hours before the medication left Nick’s system, but told him to tell the other guys to be at the hospital the next day at 9am, when Nick should be awake. They also hoped to get him off of the ventilator soon after him waking up. Howie thanked Dr. Andrews, and immediately called his brothers. They were relieved to hear the news, and all promised to be at the hospital by 9am. Howie and AJ traded spots later that night, and AJ and his wife spent the night in the waiting room. When the 8 of them were getting ready to fall asleep, they all prayed that the next day would go smoothly. 

The next morning dawned early, and Brian, Kevin, and Howie made their ways back to the hospital with their wives to meet up with AJ. When the clock hit 9am, Dr. Andrews came in with a small smile on his face. He told the Boys that Nick was awake. Kevin and Brian got tears in their eyes at that news. Those tears fell when Dr. Andrews dropped the next bit of news on them. Nick had successfully been extubated and was breathing on his own. He also did not show any signs of memory loss from the concussion. AJ and Brian let out small whoops of excitement at that. Dr. Andrews then told them that Nick had been officially diagnosed with a C-5 spinal injury. Andrews had performed the tests to test for movement and feeling, and Nick had none from his belly button down. Nick was still feeling hazy from everything, so he didn’t realize what was happening while Andrews was doing the tests. Therefore, Andrews believed that Nick didn’t know that he was paralyzed. This sent the four men into a tailspin. They had held out some hope that Nick would regain feeling, but that was not to be. Dr. Andrews told them that Nick had been moved to the orthopedic floor, and was in a regular room. This meant that all of them could visit him. Andrews warned them that Nick was highly sensitive and told them that he became overwhelmed easily. The four men asked to see Nick. Andrews stood up and they followed him. When they were approaching Nick’s door, the men stopped and had a small conference on what to do. They decided to all go in and see what would happen. 

Meanwhile, Nick was sitting in his hospital bed, feeling confused and upset with himself. The only thing he could remember was being at the club and drinking the only beer he had that night. He did not remember taking his drunk friends' home, or the other driver hitting him. He thought he had been drunk himself, and crashed into another car. As he was battling with himself, he remembered seeing a doctor come in and ask him a bunch of questions about feeling certain spots in his legs. Nick thought those were weird questions to ask, and told the doctor that he could feel him poking around his belly button, but not below there. Nick realized that he couldn’t feel his legs anymore. As he was pondering this, he heard the door to his room open. 

Brian opened the door to Nick’s room, and Nick turned towards the sound of the door opening. He recognized Brian and the rest of the guys and immediately put his head down. Brian asked what was wrong, and Nick told them what he thought he’d done. The other four looked at each other in alarm, and immediately told Nick that he did not cause this at all. They told him that he was completely sober, and that another drunk driver had hit him. Nick still looked upset, and Kevin asked what was the matter. Nick looked Kevin dead in the eyes and asked why he couldn’t move his legs. Kevin was shocked at the detached tone in Nick’s voice, and told Nick that he was going to get his doctor, and that Dr. Andrews would explain what was going on. Nick just nodded his head, and shifted his body as best as he could away from the four of them. This action broke Howie and AJ’s hearts. Two minutes later, Dr. Andrews came in and introduced himself to Nick. Nick turned back over and accepted the greeting. He kept his eyes on the doctor as Dr. Andrews explained his injuries. Nick asked if his spinal injury was permanent. Andrews was truthful and told Nick that he had less than a 5% chance of walking again. Nick thanked the doctor and asked to be left alone. Andrews left after telling Nick that he would be back in later to check on him. Nick then turned to the four men to the right of him. What came out of Nick’s mouth next shocked his brothers to their very core. 

Nick looked at his bandmates, and told them to leave him alone now, especially since he was now useless to them and the band. He gave his blessing for them to continue under the Backstreet Boys name, and would move into an assisted living facility after rehab. He didn’t want to burden them anymore. He then told them that he’d like to be alone, and turned his body back over. None of the four of them moved, and they heard Nick’s heart-wrenching sobs start. They knew what Nick had asked of them, but AJ decided to slowly walk over and put his hand on Nick’s shoulder. Nick looked up at him with the most heartbreaking look on his face that AJ had ever seen. He told him to go away, but AJ told him that he wasn’t leaving his little brother like this. He asked Nick if he really thought that the four of them would abandon him. Nick asked why they wouldn’t, everyone in his life left him, this would be no different for him. He was just a burden now, and a waste of space. AJ gently smacked the back of Nick’s head, and told him that he was completely wrong. When Nick came back to his senses, he would be there, but he wasn’t about to watch Nick destroy himself. With that said, he told the other three he’d meet them back at the house. When AJ was gone, Nick turned over and asked Howie about the house that he was talking about. Howie turned to Nick and told him that he had been sedated for the last six days, and all four of them and their wives dropped everything and moved into a rental home down here in Tallahassee, so that they could be there for Nick throughout his hospital stay and rehab. Nick closed his eyes in shame. He realized that his bandmates truly loved him, and thought of him as a brother. He started to sob again, and this time was out of shame and fear that he screwed up the only relationships that ever mattered to him. He asked Brian to call AJ on his phone and put it on speaker, since Nick couldn’t really move his hands. Brian obliged the request, and called AJ. AJ answered the phone after the second ring and asked what was wrong. Nick answered that he was sorry and he wanted him to come back. He wanted to explain himself to all of them and what had been going on before the accident. AJ agreed to come back and said he’d be there in five minutes. A few minutes later, AJ arrived back and sat in his vacated seat and looked at Nick. Nick shifted back over, hung his head, took a deep breath, and looked at his bandmates. 

He began his explanation by reminding the boys that he had been abandoned by his biological family, and now only had the boys. He admitted that he was getting frustrated with their constant hovering over him, and that he wanted to spend time apart from them. Nick wanted the opportunity to be on his own, but he now realized that he would never get to be again. The thought of burdening his bandmates terrified him. He had always thought that the other four just viewed him as a kid, and not a full-fledged adult like he was. As Nick was explaining all of this to them, without exactly looking at them, the other four men in the room realized that Nick was right. They had been treating him like he was still a teenager who needed guidance. AJ realized he never helped matters by constantly going off to bars and clubs and leaving Nick alone with the other three. Kevin, Brian, and Howie all thought they had been doing the right thing, but now realized they had been alienating their brother. Nick then told them that he never felt like a part of the brotherhood that the other four had. He knew that they thought of him as their youngest brother, but he never felt like he belonged there. The other four looked at each other and realized that Nick had been holding this in for years. Brian asked Nick if he still thought these things. Nick admitted that realizing that the boys had dropped everything for him made him realize that he was important to them. Nick snapped his head up and in a panicked voice asked about the tour that the boys were supposed to resume. Kevin quickly soothed him and told him that they had indefinitely postponed the tour, and would resume it when Nick was able to join them. Nick’s head hung again and he asked if they were still willing to have him be a part of the band, even though he would be in a wheelchair and couldn’t dance anymore. He felt a slap to the back of his head, and looked up into Howie’s determined eyes. Howie told Nick that he was always going to be part of the band, and they would modify their dance routines to include him, and that he was coming back on tour with them when he was ready. Nick nodded his head and turned to the other three. They wholeheartedly agreed with Howie’s statement, and all came over to gently hug Nick. Nick accepted the affection happily, and the five guys started to make some plans for the coming days, while Nick recovered. 

A few days later, and Nick was improving steadily. The doctors were now saying that Nick would be in the hospital for another week, before being transferred to a rehab hospital to begin his months-long rehab. The four older brothers now knew they had to have a serious conversation with Nick about where he would go for the rehab, and what would happen afterward. They gathered outside his hospital room together, and knocked on his door. Nick gave them entrance, and they all settled into their respective chairs surrounding his hospital bed. Nick sensed that this wasn’t going to be a pleasant conversation. AJ opened the conversation by asking what Nick wanted to do after he got out of the hospital. Nick told them that he’d like to go to a rehab hospital that wasn’t in Florida. Nick had been doing a lot of thinking, and came to the conclusion that he had to get out of Florida. It didn’t feel like home anymore. His four bandmates exchanged looks, and Howie told Nick that they had been discussing this eventuality, and all four of them thought about moving to Kentucky, and buying or building a home for all of them. There would be separate wings for each couple, and Nick would get his own area of the home, that was accessible to all of them. Nick’s eyes lit up at that thought, and he agreed that that sounded like the best idea. While he had been thinking, Nick realized that his brothers would never think of him as a burden, and that they and their wives wanted to do this, they weren’t doing it out of an obligation to him. The five of them put their heads together, and made plans to look for a place once Nick got settled in Kentucky at his rehab hospital. Dr. Andrews came in to check on Nick, and Kevin took him aside and explained that they were looking to transfer Nick to a rehab hospital in Kentucky, where he would live with all of them after leaving rehab. Dr. Andrews looked relieved that Nick would have somewhere to go after rehab. Dr. Andrews also agreed with Kevin that the best place for Nick to go would be outside of Florida. The five had decided on Southern Kentucky Rehabilitation Hospital, and had already called the facility, and found out there was an opening for Nick. Dr. Andrews promised to contact them, and send Nick’s records to them. Thankful that the Boys had excellent medical insurance that would cover all of this, Kevin went back to his brothers, and just took a moment to smile at the four of them chatting and joking around. He knew that the next few months would be intense, and tried to mentally prepare himself for the ride.

The next week sped by, and Nick’s lung was completely healed, the tear in his spleen had healed as well, his concussion had lessened to a minor headache that came and went, and he had been able to get the cast off of his wrist, and now sported a brace instead. The pressure on his spine had lessened, but he still had no feeling below his belly button. Nick also had trouble with his hands and grasping objects, but Dr. Andrews felt that could improve while he was in rehab. The day of Nick’s departure from the hospital arrived. He would take a medi-flight to Kentucky, and would be transferred to an ambulance to get to the rehab. Brian and his wife would drive their car back to Georgia, and begin the process of packing their home to move to Kentucky. AJ, Howie, and their wives planned to do the same thing. Kevin and his wife would take a different plane back to Kentucky, and would stay with Nick as much as possible while the other three were packing themselves up. Kevin and the guys had looked at several places online to buy for their home, but nothing seemed to be the perfect fit, so Kevin had made appointments with contractors to discuss buying land, and building the perfect home for the nine of them. This would be the fresh start that all of them deserved after the last month of difficult times, and it would give them the peace and solitude that they all needed in their lives. Kevin, Howie, Nick, Brian, and AJ couldn’t wait to get their home built, and Nick was especially excited to live with his brothers, despite his feelings before the events of the previous month. Nick was looking forward to beyond the rehab period, and couldn’t help but feel hopeful for the coming months. 


	2. Rehab and Making A Comeback

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nick goes from the hospital in Florida to rehab in Kentucky, while the new home for he and his brothers is being built. After Nick is released from rehab, he continues to move forward, and the Boys eventually resume their interrupted tour. Read on to see what happens in between these events.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well this story is turning out to be longer than I ever thought. For someone who thought she could not write a Nick story, this will be my longest story yet. There will be a part three, that I am currently working on. It will be out within the week. Thank you all for the kudos and support. It does not go unnoticed.

A few days later, Nick woke up in his now familiar rehab hospital room, ready to start another day of learning to cope with his paralysis. While he had been in the hospital, he had learned how to transfer in and out of bed with assistance. He had daily therapy to strengthen the muscles he could use in his arms. He had limited use of his hands and wrists; although with adaptive technology, he was learning how to feed himself, and perform basic needs independently. He had also gotten his power wheelchair the day after he arrived at the rehab. He was learning how to use that, while also still using a manual one. His bandmate and brother, Kevin, with his wife, had been visiting him every day since he got here. His other three brothers, Howie, AJ, and Brian, along with their wives were back at their homes in California, and Georgia respectively, finishing packing up their lives so that they could move to Kentucky to share a home together with Nick. The nine of them had decided to build their dream home together, with all the modifications that Nick would need to be as independent as he could be. 

After another grueling physical therapy session, Nick settled back into his room, and Kevin arrived not long after. Both men talked about the new house, discussing different offers from contractors trying to decide who to work with. When Howie, AJ, and Brian arrived in a few days, the three of them, with their wives, had made plans to temporarily rent homes near Kevin’s so that everyone was close by. Nick had found Kevin very easy to talk to, and had told him more about his past in the last couple of days than he had ever told anyone else. Kevin now understood his little brother more, and why Nick reacted to things the way he did. Nick had found his own niche in Kevin’s life, and he knew that he would find his own spot in each of AJ, Brian, and Howie’s lives in different ways. 

Finally, the day arrived when AJ, Brian, and Howie and their wives arrived in Kentucky. Kevin knew that they had come, but Nick did not. He was so focused on therapy and learning to adapt to his new life that he had forgotten the other six were coming soon. The six of them met up at Kevin’s and all drove over to the rehab hospital. They entered the hospital and after signing in, Kevin directed the six of them to Nick’s room. He told them to stay out in the hallway and he would bring them in in a couple of minutes. He entered Nick’s room, and immediately saw that Nick had had a tough day. He was currently sitting in his power wheelchair next to his bed, looking out the window with tears running down his face. He turned to the door when he heard Kevin come in, and immediately waved him over for a hug. With his long legs, Kevin made it over to Nick in 2 seconds and gave Nick a warm hug and asked if he was okay. Nick replied that he was feeling frustrated with everything, and it seemed like it was taking forever for things to come together. Kevin told him that feeling the way he was, was completely normal, and Kevin would have been more scared if he didn’t react to things like that. Kevin then asked Nick if he wanted more support, and a few more friends around him. Nick agreed, and Kevin turned to the door and told the group waiting outside the door to get their butts in the room. Nick turned back to the door just in time to see AJ, Brian, Howie, and their wives walk through. Nick started to cry, and immediately rolled himself over to them. The three guys, with Kevin watching, embraced Nick, and just held him in their arms as best they could. The four let go, and Nick shared a hug with each of his sister-in-law's. AJ immediately took over Nick’s bed, along with his wife, and the others settled into chairs in the room. Conversation flowed, and the nine members of this band-turned-family caught up with each other, like nothing had ever changed. 

Time passed, Nick steadily coped with his new life, with bad days in between as is normal, and the house plans came together. The nine of them had decided on the location and the contractor they would use for the house. After many discussions, they had settled on a ten-bedroom home, with attached bathrooms, and two hall bathrooms for guests. The house would have three floors, with Nick getting the main floor, and the four couples equally splitting the two remaining floors. Each couple would get two bedrooms, one for them and one for a future child or children, and Nick would get his own two bedrooms, and use the second one for rehab equipment for now. The room could be converted back into a bedroom if he found a significant other, and if they decided to have a child. They would have a full-size basement which would turn into a giant family room for all of them to share. There would be a large kitchen with a nook, a formal dining room, a study with bookshelves, and an elevator so Nick could go up and hang out with his brothers and their wives if he wanted to. The whole house would be modified so Nick could be as independent as possible. The house was also on ten acres of land, so the Boys and their wives got the privacy they desperately wanted. The biggest issue was it would take almost 6 months to complete, and Nick would not be in the rehab that long. After some discussion with his therapists and doctors, the Boys decided that Nick would move in with Brian and his wife until the house was done. Brian was the only one who had rented a single-story home that had two bedrooms, and a study that could hold some of Nick’s equipment. 

With all of the major discussions done, Nick redoubled his focus on his rehab, with success. He now exclusively used his power wheelchair to get around. He had also gotten assistive technology to help with using a computer or the telephone. Nick also had almost mastered feeding himself with the use of assistive cutlery. Even with all of this success, Nick still struggled some days. All of the physical signs from Nick’s accident had healed, but the mental and psychological scars would remain for months and years to come. Nick was terrified to be in a car again, and he still struggled with not feeling like a burden to his brothers. One thing that Nick had learned was to talk his feelings out, and he found that it helped him. He would spend hours talking to his brothers about what was going on, and they helped him as much as they could. He also had a psychologist as part of his care team, and talked to her twice a week for an hour, which helped him cope with his new life as well. The doctors told Nick that he had about another two weeks of inpatient rehab, before he was released to Brian’s home and would go to outpatient rehab three times a week to continue his therapies. Nick couldn’t wait to be out of the hospital setting completely. 

The next two weeks passed by relatively quickly, and the new house’s foundation had been poured, and walls were starting to go up. It was finally the day where Nick was out of the rehab hospital. The four Boys and their wives made their way to the rehab for the last time to help Nick finish packing his room up. The last couple of days had been spent between the rehab and Brian’s home to get things set up there for Nick. Finally, Nick was set free. This was slightly worrying for all of them, especially Nick, because this would be the first time he was in a car since the accident. While Nick was in the rehab, the rest of the guys went out and got a handicap accessible van, with a ramp for Nick’s wheelchair. Nick wheeled out of the hospital, took one look at the new van, and he started panicking. Howie immediately hugged him tightly, and got him to slow his breathing down. He asked Nick how he wanted to approach this. Nick told him that he did not want to be in the passenger seat, and wanted to be in the backseat with someone. Howie agreed with his plan, and asked who Nick wanted in the van with him, driving and in the backseat. Nick declared that he wanted Kevin driving, AJ’s wife in the passenger seat, and Howie in the backseat with him. The eight of them quickly agreed, and Kevin got in the driver’s seat, with AJ’s wife accompanying him. Howie grabbed Nick’s left hand and held it while Nick drove his wheelchair to the side of the van, and opened the door to activate the ramp. After the ramp stopped moving, Nick took a deep breath, and slowly ascended the ramp into the van. He successfully got himself into the van, and Howie followed him in with AJ, and between the two of them, they got Nick successfully buckled in and secured his wheelchair. AJ got back out to drive in the other car, and got the ramp back in and closed the door, while Howie got himself settled in the seat next to Nick. Howie grabbed Nick’s hand and held it while Kevin started the car. AJ’s wife kept her eye on Nick to gauge his reactions. Kevin slowly started driving, and Nick remained calm. He looked out the windows at the scenery which he had never seen before. That kept him occupied most of the ride. About ten minutes before they would get to Brian’s, Nick started panicking a bit, because they were now hitting every red light, and he flinched whenever they went over an intersection. Howie kept hold of his hand, and kept talking about random things to try to distract Nick. Finally, they made it to Brian’s and Kevin immediately hopped in the back to help Howie get Nick unbuckled and out of the van. Two minutes later, Nick was looking at his new home for the next five months. He felt like he could finally breathe for the first time in the last two months. 

Nick steered himself into Brian’s home and went to see his new bedroom. With the assistance of the doctors and therapists at the rehab, the Boys (and his medical insurance) had gotten Nick everything he needed to live with his paralysis. He was looking forward to having a guy’s night in a couple of days to just watch football and relax with his brothers. He knew he had therapy the next day, and went out to supervise the rest of his family as they unpacked the two vans that had been filled with the stuff left in Nick’s rehab room. A few hours later, it was just Nick, Brian, and Brian’s wife, and they settled down to have a nice quiet dinner, and then Nick started his night routine with Brian’s assistance. As Nick settled down for bed, he was extremely grateful for everything that had happened up until now. He had an amazing family, he had an amazing fanbase, the best brothers anyone could ask for, and the best outlook for his situation. He went to sleep with a smile on his face. 

Over the next three months, the house slowly came together, and Nick continued going to outpatient therapy. He had his ups and downs, but generally kept in good spirits. Now that he felt relatively stable, he wanted to do something for his brothers. He told the four of them to go play basketball for a while, and invited their wives over to spend time with him. Nick wanted to organize a night where it was just him and the guys, and some video games, music, and tv. He wanted to broach the idea of resuming their interrupted Backstreet Boys tour. After the accident, the Boys ended up cancelling the rest of the tour until further notice. Once their fans had found out what happened to Nick, they were fully supportive, and each of the guys got daily tweets and messages sending love to Nick. Nick deeply appreciated the support, and he felt ready to do at least a couple of shows to get used to preforming again. The wives fully supported Nick’s idea after he explained it to them, and told him they would be there if he needed them to be. He told them he didn’t think he would, but would call them if need be. After looking at everyone’s schedule, they planned for the following Saturday for the little get together to take place. Nick was looking forward to it, but was extremely nervous about his brother’s reactions. 

The next several days passed unassumingly, and it was now Saturday afternoon. Nick kicked Brian out and the other wives joined Nick in making the food. Well, Nick supervised while the ladies cooked, and kept them company. Nick and Kevin’s favorite football teams, the Buccaneers and the Chiefs, were playing each other the next day and both men were very excited about the game. Therefore, the ladies made extra food that could be saved to be eaten while they watched the game the following day. The other Boys made their way back to Brian’s, and the nine of them had a quick meal of pizza, before the ladies left to have their own night out. Brian’s wife would stay at Kevin’s with his wife. The men settled in to play some video games, but Howie noticed that Nick was extremely restless, and kept looking at them strangely. He nudged AJ and brought it to his attention. AJ, being AJ, asked Nick why he was so twitchy. Nick deflected the question, but AJ was persistent. He finally relented, and asked Howie to turn off the game system, and asked the guys to just hear him out, and not interrupt. He started by thanking his brothers for everything that they had done for him, and that he loved living near and with them now, despite his feelings before everything changed. Nick told the boys that he was ready to do a couple of shows together with them again as the Backstreet Boys. He had discussed it with his therapists, and they had gotten him a headset with a microphone that he would use to sing into. They would have to do adjustments to the dance routines, but he felt like he could try a couple of shows to see how it would all come together. Nick felt it was time to be a band again. It had been 6 months since the accident, and Nick was about at the level of recovery that he was going to remain at for the rest of his life. The doctors had told him this at his last appointment. Now that he knew his final limitations, they could work around them when it came to him performing at their shows. 

While Nick was saying all of this, he wasn’t looking at his brothers, but rather at some point beyond them. As he refocused on his brothers, he couldn’t help but laugh at the look of shock on each of their faces. They immediately all began talking over each other, and Nick cleared his throat, which shut them up. Nick told them to talk one at a time, and they would discuss this rationally and calmly. The only thing Brian wanted to know, is if he felt like him and the other guys had pressured him at all in making this decision. Nick vehemently denied that suggestion, and told them he had been thinking about this for more than a month at this point. Howie brought up the travel issues, and Nick pointed out that their tour buses could be modified with ramps, and that while flying would be more difficult, it could be done. AJ was worried that Nick was doing this to try to prove that he could. Nick admitted that that idea had some influence on his decision, he really just missed preforming with his brothers, and missed the euphoria that the fan reaction gave him. Kevin gave Nick a long look, and said nothing. Nick turned to his oldest brother, and asked what he thought. He told Nick that he didn’t like the idea at all, but was willing to see what would happen when they started rehearsing again. That’s about the reaction he was expecting from Kevin, and brushed it off for the moment. He knew that he would hear Kevin’s real reaction later when the two of them were alone. The five of them resumed their video gaming, and the night sped by. They made plans to have a business discussion on Monday morning, to decide what would happen going forward with the band. The next day, before the big game, Kevin came to Brian’s early, and had a conversation with Nick. During their conversation, Kevin realized why Nick wanted to do this so badly, and shared his fears with Nick. Nick told him all they could do was try, and it may work out, or it may not, but Nick wasn’t going to not try and give up. He had worked too hard with them for too long, to just give up when things in his personal life changed. Kevin agreed with him, and the two settled in Brian’s living room to watch Nick’s Buccaneers trounce the Chiefs 27-13. 

Their business meeting the next day proved to be fruitful. The five of them made hesitant plans to announce the resuming of their tour two months from now. That would give them time to move into their home, and give them time to modify their dance routines and get Nick used to performing again. Kevin contacted their management and told them what they had planned, and while they were hesitant, they promised to start promoting their first show, and the resuming of their performances. The next weekend, they would finally move into their new house, and then start rehearsals. All five guys, with Brian’s, Howie’s, Kevin’s and AJ’s wives, were very excited to finally be living together. The following weekend arrived, and everyone’s families, with the exception of Nick’s since he had cut them off years before, all came to help the nine of them move into their new home. After a very exhausting weekend, the nine of them settled into their family room that was mostly unpacked, to watch the Sunday Night Football game. The only rooms completely done were Nick’s, mostly out of necessity. The four couples’ rooms were in various states of disarray, and there were boxes strewn all over the house. None of that mattered, they were finally home. Nick was feeling extremely content with his life, despite the life altering events of the last year. He was looking forward to rehearsing again with his brothers and making music, and everything else that came with being the Backstreet Boys. He did have some worry that he wouldn’t be able to sing as well or as loudly as he did, and he worried about the routines, but Nick knew that they could figure a way to get it done. 

Rehearsals began the following week, and remarkably there was very little they had to change to fit Nick’s wheelchair in. They were still able to do the chair routine for As Long As You Love Me, Nick did a modified hat routine for All I Have To Give, and they were able to incorporate one of the other guys pushing his wheelchair around, or him driving himself around into their other routines. Nick’s voice did give out a little bit on the higher notes, but they adjusted his parts to a lower register, and it worked out a lot better. They would also have to incorporate an extra intermission in case Nick needed the restroom, but things were looking up, and even Kevin was impressed with what they had been able to do. Kevin never doubted Nick once, but he was worried about Nick’s body keeping up with his spirit. Nick was incredibly excited about performing again, and often pushed himself too hard, and had to be reminded to slow down, and not go beyond his limits. Over the two months of rehearsal, Nick learned his limits, and after going beyond them once, and consequently having to take three days off, he quickly stuck to what his body could do, and didn’t push himself further than that. There had been plenty of buzz in the magazines and newspapers about the Boys returning and Nick actually performing again. Some called him inspirational, while others thought he was stupid for even trying to come back after such a severe medical issue. Nick was determined to prove his doubters wrong, and couldn’t wait until the following weekend, when they would have their first performance in nine months. 

The night of the Backstreet Boys’ comeback to their tour arrived, and Nick was equal parts excited and nervous. He hoped that everything they had done over the past two months showed through, and that people focused on the songs and not his wheelchair. As their crew got together for their usual group prayer, Nick had a sense of calm wash over him, a calm that he hadn’t felt since before the accident. After the prayer, he opened his eyes, and took a deep breath, and gently smiled. Howie caught him, and sent him an inquiring look. Nick just shook his head, still smiling. He was ready to do this, and knew that they would kill this performance. Three hours later, they had done just that. As Nick wheeled off the stage, he was overcome with such emotion that he started to cry. AJ, Howie, Brian, and Kevin rushed over to him, and he gently shook them off. He explained that he was overwhelmed with gratitude and so beyond proud of himself and them for pulling off such an amazing performance. Nick had noticed that when they first came out, all people looked at was his wheelchair, but soon everyone forgot about it, and just enjoyed the music and their dance routines. Things had gone flawlessly, and Nick couldn’t be happier. The five men came together in an embrace, and after a group prayer, AJ shouted “Backstreet’s Back!” and the other four shouted “Alright!”; and they promptly broke out into laughter. The night could not have been more perfect, and Nick went to bed the happiest he had ever been in a long time.


	3. Finding Mrs. Carter

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nick and his brothers go back to Florida, so Nick can come to terms with his accident, and Nick comes home with someone on his mind. Read on as Nick finds his wife, and the adventures they go on.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well this is the final chapter. Almost 15,000 words later, this is my biggest and longest story ever. I am taking a hiatus from writing for now. I am completely burnt out right now. I'll be back though. Thank you for all of the kudos, comments and support you all have given my stories. It humbles me and does not go unnoticed. I hope you enjoy this part as much I did writing it.

After their first performance’s success, the Boys resumed their interrupted tour for another four months, before taking a hiatus for a year to write their next album. Nick asked his brothers if they would be willing to take a trip down to Florida, so that he could see where the accident had happened, thirteen months earlier. Nick had been doing amazingly well since the accident, and while he still attended therapy once a week, and met with a psychologist once a month, he was able to live a somewhat normal life. He was still embarrassed to have help in the bathroom, but had long accepted the help. When Nick came to the other four about wanting to go down to Florida, Howie and Brian were hesitant, but Kevin and AJ immediately figured out why Nick felt that he needed to go. This would provide closure to Nick, and help him realize exactly what happened that night. When AJ explained this to Howie and Brian, they understood, and agreed to accompany him. They made plans to go in two weeks, and they asked their wives if they wanted to come, but they declined, saying that this would be a good time for them to take a men’s vacation together. The four wives made their own plans to go out to the opposite coast, so that AJ and Howie’s wives could spend time with friends out in California. 

Two weeks later, the guys arrived in Florida to enjoy their week in the Sunshine State. Nick immediately wanted to go out to the accident site, but the others convinced him to wait a couple of days, and they spent time at the beach (Nick had gotten the attachable beach wheels for his chair), went to Disney for a day to have some fun, and just genuinely enjoyed time together without worrying about a deadline for a song, or having yet another interview, being asked the same questions for the millionth time. Four days after they arrived in Florida, the five men made their way to Tallahassee, to go back to the intersection where Nick had his accident. As they got nearer to the intersection, Brian noticed Nick get quieter, and watched his breathing pick up. Kevin, who was driving, stopped just short of the intersection, and pulled off into the corner store’s parking lot. The five of them got out, and Nick slowly started steering himself to the corner of the intersection. AJ, who had been the one to find out exactly what had happened that night, kneeled next to Nick, and asked if he wanted him to explain what he knew. Nick nodded his head, not trusting himself to speak for fear of breaking down completely, and listened as AJ described what had happened that night. Nick followed AJ’s explanation, and realized just how close he had come to dying that night. He started to cry, and as the other four cocooned themselves around him, none of them noticed the woman coming up to them. She cleared her throat, and the five men looked up. She introduced herself as Trish, and stated that she was one of the EMT’s who had been there that night and had been there for Nick while they were taking him to the hospital. She recognized all of them because she was a fan of their music, but didn’t realize that the man she had helped that night was Nick until after they had brought him to the hospital. She had kept up with how he was doing via the news, but was very happy to see for herself that he was doing so well. The other four introduced themselves, and Nick asked Trish for a hug. As Trish leaned in, Nick whispered “Thank you” into her ear, and she gently smiled at him. She straightened up, and asked what they were doing back in Florida. Kevin explained to her that they had come back so Nick could come to terms with his accident, and see where it happened. As Trish looked around her, it suddenly came to her that this is where the accident had happened, and she started profusely apologizing to them for interrupting them. All five brushed off the apologies, and told her they were happy to meet her. 

As the six of them were talking, Nick couldn’t help but appreciate how Trish looked. He asked Trish if she still lived in Florida, or was just visiting herself. Trish explained that she had temporarily moved to Kentucky three months earlier, because her mother wasn’t doing well. She was back in Florida because her mother had recently passed, and she had made the decision to move permanently back to Kentucky to be with her father. She was just going to the corner store to pick up some food before going back to packing. The five men gave Trish their condolences on the loss of her mother, and inquired where in Kentucky she lived. She gave her location, and they realized she only lived half an hour from them. Brian asked when she was going back to Kentucky, and Trish told them that she was leaving two days from now, and luckily had an EMT job lined up waiting for her there. The five men offered to help her with her packing, and Trish gladly accepted their help. She gave AJ her address, and the five men told her they would come over the next day to help her out. Howie told her that they were also leaving to go back home in two days, and asked what flight she was on. It turned out that the six of them were on the same flight home. After making plans to meet up the next day at ten in the morning, Trish gave her goodbyes, and Nick couldn’t help but stare at her as she walked away. AJ caught him staring, and started teasing him. Nick brushed it off, and told the others that he was okay now, and asked to go back to their hotel room. As the night drew to a close, Nick only thought about Trish, and went to sleep with her on his mind. The next day, the five arrived at Trish’s home, and helped her get all of her things into boxes. Nick supervised the labeling of the boxes, while the other four got things packed in the boxes and put into the U-Haul that Trish had rented. As the six of them were leaving the next day, the five men went back to their hotel after a pizza dinner, that they had split the cost of with Trish, to do their own packing. 

The six very tired Kentuckian’s arrived within ten minutes of each other to their airport at the very early time of six am the next morning. They exchanged contact information, and the Boys told Trish that if her or her father ever needed help to give them a call. Trish promised to do just that, and then the call came that their flight was boarding. As the Boys were in first class, they said goodbye to Trish, and boarded the plane. Three hours later, the four oldest Boys were reunited with their wives, and told them about their vacation, what had happened with Nick seeing the location of his accident, and about meeting Trish. The four wives all thought that she sounded sweet, and told them to invite her and her father over for dinner one night. Nick immediately volunteered to call Trish to ask, and went off to his room to do just that. AJ’s wife picked up on Nick’s sudden eagerness, and shot her husband a look. AJ just nodded his head, and she smiled mischievously. It looked like she may be doing some matchmaking soon. Meanwhile, Trish picked up on the second ring, and they had a very pleasant conversation, and she accepted the invitation to come over for dinner with her father the following Friday. Nick was very excited to see Trish again so soon, and wished for next Friday to come quickly. 

Luckily for Nick, the next ten days sped by quickly, and it was now Friday afternoon. Nick grabbed Howie and dragged him into his walk-in closet and asked him for help to pick out his outfit. After some teasing, Howie helped Nick pick out a nice button down, with a tank underneath, and a nice pair of dark jeans with sneakers. Howie helped Nick dress, and he started his version of pacing in the living room. As the other members of their home watched Nick drive his wheelchair back and forth across the floor, Kevin eventually got in his path and told Nick to go downstairs and play video games for a while until Trish and her father got there. Nick went down to the family room, and got into a tournament with Brian, and almost didn’t hear the doorbell ring. As he ascended in the elevator to the main floor, he started sweating. The elevator doors opened, and Nick saw the Boy’s wives greeting Trish and her father Mark. Trish had put on a similar outfit to Nick, and when she turned to see Nick wheeling towards her, she smiled and lent down to give him a hug. She introduced Nick to Mark, and Mark could instantly see the developing chemistry between his daughter and Nick. He noticed how his daughter stuck close to Nick, and instantly calmed when she saw him. He gave Nick a wide smile, and leaned down to shake his hand. The eleven of them made small talk in the kitchen while dinner finished up. It was a nice fall day, so they opted to eat outside, and made their way to the backyard. As Trish leaned on the deck railing admiring the views, Nick wheeled himself next to her, and asked what she was thinking about. Trish admitted that coming here to Kentucky was one of the best decisions she had ever made. Nick gave her a soft smile, and reached for her hand. She grabbed onto it, and they just looked out over the yard, and into the trees and forests beyond the yard line. They heard AJ yell their names, and turned around to see nine people staring at them with gentle smiles on their faces. They dropped their shared hands and made their way to the table to eat the delicious dinner that had been prepared. 

After stuffing themselves, Nick excused himself and Trish and led her back to his bedroom. Mark was talking football with Kevin, and saw his daughter leave with Nick. He knew that Nick would never do anything to his daughter, and immersed himself back into the conversation with Kevin, which Brian soon joined. Nick showed Trish his bedroom, and invited her to sit on his chair that he had across from his bed. He took Trish’s hand back into his, and looked up at her. He thought she was breathtakingly beautiful, and told her so. Trish, unused to such a compliment, bowed her head, and let her hair hide her face as she blushed. Nick pulled her chin up, and laid a hesitant kiss on Trish’s lips. Trish thought that Nick tasted amazing, and wanted more. She deepened the kiss, and after a few moments, Nick broke it off. He looked up at her, and gave her a goofy smile. She grinned back at him, and asked what he was thinking about. Nick said that he was thinking about maybe asking her on a date. Trish replied that maybe if he did, she might accept. After a few seconds, Nick asked Trish if she’d be willing to go on a date with him the next day. Trish accepted instantly, and they shared another gentle kiss. They walked (or wheeled, in Nick’s case) back out to the living room, and told the others that they were going on a date the next day, and they all gave the two of them wide smiles and nods. Mark went to his daughter, and could see the feelings that were developing for Nick in his daughter’s eyes and face. He gave her a hug, and sent a stern look to Nick. Nick flushed, and stammered that he wouldn’t let anything happen, or do anything inappropriate with Trish. Trish hit her father in the bicep and told him not to scare her date. Mark sent her a sheepish look, and sent a knowing look to Nick. The night ended with Trish and Nick sharing another gentle kiss, before she left with her father back home. As Nick wheeled back in the house, with a goofy little smile on his face, AJ started teasing him, and he just sent him the finger, and wheeled into his room to get ready for bed. Howie followed him in to help him, with Brian following as well, and between the three of them, Nick was ready for bed an hour later. Nick went to sleep planning the perfect date in his head, with a smile on his face. 

Nick woke up the next morning, and after completing his morning routine with Brian, he called Kevin downstairs to come help him plan his date with Trish. Kevin came down, and the three of them, Brian included, planned out a nice picnic at the local park, and Brian would let Trish use the van so that the two of them could be alone. They would make sure Nick used the restroom before he left, and one of them would come if he had trouble while he was out. Nick also planned to walk to get some ice cream as well. Kevin, with Nick’s assistance, made some sandwiches, potato salad, with crackers and cheese and fresh fruit as a side. They packed it all up in a nice cooler, and left it in the fridge to stay cool while Nick got himself ready with AJ and Howie’s help. He chose to wear a nice polo with a sweater on top, and black trousers with nice shoes. Since Nick got cold easily, he planned to bring an extra blanket and coat in case he needed it. Nick had told Trish that they would do an early dinner at 430, and when the planned time came around, it was a similar scene to the night prior, with Nick doing his version of pacing the living room again. The doorbell rang, and Nick opened the door to reveal Trish in jeans, a nice blouse, and wearing her own coat. She leaned down to give Nick a quick kiss, and said hello to the other guys and their wives. She then asked Nick what they were going to do on the date, since Nick never told her during their text conversations during the day. Nick revealed that they would go to the local park for a nice picnic, and then walk to get some ice cream. Trish loved the idea, and gave him another quick kiss. Brian came up and gave Trish the keys to the van, and Trish promised that she would be extremely careful with the van and with Nick. Brian just nodded and told her he knew she would be. A round of hugs and goodbyes later, Nick got himself settled into the passenger side of the van, with Trish driving. The picnic basket was safely nestled in the backseat. They drove the 15 minutes to the local park, and Trish helped Nick get out, having watched Brian get him in, so she just did the reverse of what he had done, and she put the basket on Nick’s lap. They started a slow stroll around the park to the seating areas, and talked about their childhoods, their favorites, Trish shared stories of working as an EMT, and Nick shared crazy fan stories from their older tours. They arrived at the picnic tables, and Trish got out their food, and helped Nick set up the things he used to eat with, and they continued their conversation, with kisses interspersed throughout. 

After filling their stomachs with the delicious food, they packed up the basket, and started back on their stroll. They talked about Nick’s life before his accident, Trish shared stories of her college years, and they just enjoyed being together. Neither of them could deny the chemistry between them, and they both wanted to see where this could possibly lead. They approached the ice cream parlor, and decided to get a large soft vanilla cone to split. They sat at one of the tables outside of the building, and Nick licked his side of the cone, while Trish used a spoon for her side. Trish couldn’t help but laugh as Nick got his ice cream everywhere, much like a child would. Nick started laughing at himself, and they both had a hard time catching their breath. They looked at each other, and both of their breaths caught in their throats. The look in both of their eyes was pure love. They kissed, and decided to walk back to the van, after cleaning up their mess. As they were walking towards the van, Nick grabbed Trish’s hand and stopped. He turned his wheelchair towards her, and asked how the night went in her opinion. She knelt down, and gave Nick a kiss on his nose, making him go cross-eyed. She told Nick that this had been the best first date she had ever been on, and the first time she had never been pressured to go further than kissing on a first date. Nick got a dark look on his face at that reveal, and told her that she would lead on how their relationship progressed. Trish shook her head, and told him that it was going to be communication between the two of them, and they would mutually decide to further their relationship. 

They had long gotten back to the van, and Trish helped Nick get settled back in the passenger seat, and started the drive home. Nick held onto her right hand when he could, and they got back to Nick’s home. Trish got out of the van, and got Nick out again. She handed Nick the keys to the van, and leaned down to kiss him goodnight. The kiss got heated, and they lightly made out. After catching their breath, Nick told Trish that he had had an amazing night, and that he would love to do this again with her. Trish got the brightest smile on her face, and told him that she felt the exact same way. Nick gave her a final kiss, and told her to text him when she got home. Trish promised, and after a final hug, made her way to her car, and drove home. Nick watched her car leave the street, and wheeled himself into the house. He entered to see Howie and AJ waiting up for him. They asked how it went, and Nick just gave them a broad smile, and told them that he really liked her, and that they planned to see where this went. AJ and Howie were extremely happy for Nick, and they thought that he and Trish made a wonderful couple. The two of them helped Nick with his night routine, and Nick got the text a half hour after Trish left that she had made it home safe. They continued texting, and after a final goodnight, Nick got settled into sleep with thoughts of what else Trish and he could do, and the potential of a future together. 

Six months later, Nick and Trish were still going strong, seeing each other at least every two weeks, and after two months, had defined their relationship as boyfriend/girlfriend. They loved spending time together, and with the rest of the guys. Three months earlier, Howie and Kevin and their wives revealed that they were expecting their first children. They were due within a week of each other, and today was the gender reveal party for both families. Nick thought that they were both having boys, while Trish thought that Kevin and his wife were having a girl, and Howie and his wife were having a boy. Brian had guessed two girls; Brian’s wife, AJ, Howie’s wife, and Kevin’s wife all predicted two boys. Kevin, AJ’s wife, and Howie all predicted one of each, with Kevin predicting that he would have the boy and Howie would have the girl, AJ’s wife predicting Kevin having the girl and Howie having the boy, while Howie agreed with AJ’s wife. After a nice lunch, two boxes were brought out. The two men and their wives would open them to reveal balloons in either pink or blue. Kevin and his wife went first, and were ecstatic to have a daughter. Howie and his wife opened their box to reveal more pink balloons. Both men were having baby girls. Brian was the only one to accurately guess the gender of both babies, and was very happy to win a small prize. They celebrated the two little girls coming into their lives, and couldn’t imagine their lives getting any better. 

Another six months passed, and Trish and Nick’s relationship only got stronger. Trish had made the hard decision to put Mark in a hospice home, his health rapidly declining in the last three months. She visited him every second day, and often brought Nick along. Nick loved Mark and was extremely upset that he wasn’t doing well. Mark had told Nick that he knew that his daughter would end up with him, and gave Nick his blessing to propose, if he wasn’t around to see it happen. Nick got tears in his eyes, and told Mark that he would love his daughter until his last breath. Mark just gave him a hug, and whispered “I know” in his ear. Three weeks later, Mark succumbed to his illness. Trish was devastated, and clung to Nick to wade through her grief. She had started moving her things in to the Boys’ home before her father passed, and had to quickly move the rest of her things in, and decided to sell her family home. She couldn’t bear to go back to the home now that both of her parents were gone. Being an only child, Trish was now virtually alone. She was extremely happy to have Nick, and the rest of the Boys and their wives in her life, but she missed her parents. Nick understood, and helped her as much as he could. One thing that helped Trish was spending time with Kevin and Howie’s daughters. They had been born three months earlier, and on the same day. Caroline Ann Richardson and Layla Grace Dorough were the apple of their father’s eyes, and were already as thick as thieves. Kevin and Howie and their wives knew they were in trouble with these two. Brian and his wife had also recently announced they were expecting. AJ and his wife had told the others about a year ago, that they wouldn’t be having biological children, but intended to adopt a child in a couple of years. Trish often helped out with the babies as much as she could, and made sure that all of them knew infant and adult CPR. As Nick watched Trish with the babies, he couldn’t help but wonder how she would look pregnant with their own children. Nick planned to propose within the next year, and started to ponder ideas of how to do it. 

While all of this was going on, none of the Boys had forgotten about their fans, and the new album they had taken the time off to work on. They had slowly made progress, and were about halfway done with it. They still did random appearances if they were asked, and interacted with their fans via social media frequently. Howie and Kevin often posted photos of their families, and AJ often posted videos and photos of what the whole group was up to. Nick posted mostly about his therapy and about Trish. Once Nick’s wedding was done, they planned to go on another tour after releasing their album. 

Nick first thought about going to the park where they had their first date, but wrote that off because it seemed too cliché. He asked his brothers for ideas, and Kevin came up with going back to Florida, but Nick vetoed that one because it could bring up bad memories for him and possibly Trish as well. Brian proposed going on a trip to somewhere where they had never been before, but Nick wanted somewhere that meant something to the two of them. AJ and Howie both came up with different ideas, but Nick vetoed them for different reasons. It took a good eight months for Nick to come up with the perfect proposal. He decided to take Trish to their favorite Italian restaurant for dinner, and then go to their favorite bookshop for coffee and dessert. At the end of the night, he would take her to the local riverbank, where Trish told Nick she loved him for the first time, and propose there. Nick had gotten her ring two months earlier, and had kept it in his sock drawer since then. It was silver, with a sapphire in the middle instead of a diamond, with two diamonds on both sides of the sapphire. AJ and Kevin had helped him pick it out, and Nick thought it was the perfect ring for Trish. He quickly figured out that he would propose in two weeks, when Trish had a vacation from work planned. That Friday night, he would take her out for an unforgettable night. 

Two weeks later, and Nick was feeling remarkably at peace when he woke up on Friday morning. He knew that Trish would accept his proposal. They had been dating for over a year and a half at this point, and Nick knew that Trish was the woman he wanted to spend the rest of his life with. Howie and Brian came in to help him get ready for the day, and he spent the morning and early afternoon doing some therapy, playing video games with his brothers, and playing with his nieces. Brian’s wife was nearly due with their first, a boy. Brian and his wife planned to name him Patrick Jason Littrell, or PJ for short. Nick was extremely excited about his nephew coming. A little after 3pm, he dragged AJ and Kevin to his room to help him get ready for the big night. They willingly helped him, and helped keep him calm and his excess energy that he always had at bay. An hour and a half later, Trish walked in from spending time with her friends, and Nick told her to shower and get ready for a night out. Intrigued, Trish did just that, and an hour later, Trish and Nick set out for their dinner. After having another amazing meal at their favorite restaurant, Nick told Trish to go to the bookstore, so they could have dessert and coffee, and peruse the new books that had come in since they had last gone. Nick started getting butterflies in his stomach as they got back in the van, and told Trish to drive them to the riverbank, where they had been many times before on their walks. It was getting later in the evening, and the sun was starting to set. They parked near the path to the riverbank, and got out of the van. Nick took hold of Trish’s hand, and they started making their way down the path to the riverbank. When they got to the precise spot, Nick tugged on Trish’s hand, and Trish turned around to see the ring in Nick’s lap. She got tears in her eyes as Nick told her that he loved her with all of his heart, and that she was the woman for him, and if she would marry him and make him the happiest man alive? Trish got tears on her eyes, and yelled “YES!”. She took the ring box from his lap, and slipped the ring on. She loved the ring so much, and it was perfect. Trish bent down and gave Nick a searing kiss. All of a sudden, both of their phones went off, and Trish answered hers first. Howie was on the other end of the line, and told Trish that Brian’s wife had gone into labor, and that they were all making their way to the hospital soon. Trish told Howie that they’d meet them there. Trish hung up and told Nick what was going on. Nick didn’t think this night could get any better. They quickly made their way back to the van, and made their way to the hospital to wait for their nephew to arrive. 

By the time they made it to the hospital, Brian and his wife were in their room, and the other six were in the waiting room. AJ asked Nick where they had been, and all Nick did was look at Trish, who raised her left hand. The wives gasped and went to Trish, while AJ, Howie, and Kevin slapped Nick on the back and congratulated him, and kissed Trish on the cheek. The ten of them settled in for the long wait for little PJ to come. They busied themselves taking care of Layla and Caroline, and getting sleep and food. Eight hours later, an exhausted but ecstatically happy Brian came into the waiting room. His brothers woke their wives up, and Nick woke Trish up, and Brian announced that Patrick Jason Littrell was here, safe and healthy. He asked that Nick and Trish come back with him first, and then the others could come in. Nick and Trish followed Brian, and quickly entered the room where his wife was nursing PJ. Brian asked where the two of them had gone earlier, and Trish again raised her left hand. Brian hugged the two of them, while his wife reached out to look at the ring. Brian and his wife told Nick and Trish that they were making the two of them PJ’s godparents. The two of them were stunned, but accepted the honor. Brian told Nick to grab the other boys, and the room quickly filled with the rest of them. Their family had grown again, and now had thirteen members. Trish knew that she would never forget her proposal, and was looking forward to wedding planning with Nick. 

After nine months of wedding planning, the big day arrived. Nick and Trish planned a small intimate wedding, with Trish’s best friends serving as bridesmaids and maid of honor, while Nick asked Howie to be his best man, and the other three were his groomsmen. They were having the ceremony at their local park; they didn’t want a big ostentatious event, and invited less than 50 people total. The day was filled with many special moments, and Nick cried as Trish walked down the aisle. The minister soon announced them as Mr. and Mrs. Nickolas Gene Carter. Trish was beyond happy to be Nick’s wife. They had planned to go to Hawaii for their honeymoon, and would leave the next day. At the reception, the other four Boys made wonderful speeches, with Nick crying through them all. He wheeled towards them after Kevin spoke, and the five of them came together in a hug that lasted a few minutes. No one spoke during that time, they all knew how special that moment was for the five men. The reception turned into a party afterward, and Nick and Trish left for their hotel at midnight. After celebrating their marriage, and a few hours of sleep, the two of them left for Hawaii for the next two weeks. Nick and Trish thoroughly enjoyed their honeymoon, and soon found themselves back home in Kentucky, getting back to their normal lives. Trish went back to her EMT job, while Nick joined the Boys in finishing their album. Nickolas and Trish Carter were looking forward to the rest of their lives, and couldn’t wait to see what would happen. They were ready for anything, and would tackle life together, whatever it threw at them. 

 

Epilogue 

 

Nick and Trish ended up having four kids together, three boys and one girl. Brian, Kevin, and AJ and their wives all had two children, a boy and a girl. Howie and his wife had three, two girls and a boy. The five couples decided to expand their home to fit all of the children, and they knew they had the room to make homes if their children decided to live on the property. Nick never let his wheelchair get in the way of giving his kids the best life he could. His children understood their father’s limitations early on, and they were extremely proud of their dad. The Boys released another three albums, and slowly withdrew from the spotlight. They focused their energies on raising their children and spending time as a very large family. Over the years, their family expanded even larger with their kids marrying and having grandchildren. Nick ultimately ended up being thankful for the accident that changed his life forever, crediting it for giving him the opportunity to get closer to his brothers, and helping him find his wife. Nickolas Gene Carter died at the age of ninety, the last living member of the legendary Backstreet Boys, with his wife and family by his side. He went in his sleep, with a smile on his face, and met his brothers on the other side. He didn’t have to wait long for Trish to join him, and they went on their next great adventure together in heaven.


End file.
